Archives for August 2005

Thank you to everyone who has emailed me with their unfavorite movies. Seems there’s a little Evil Ebert inside all of us, and it is perfectly delighted to be asked out to play. Time has been short, so regretfully I haven’t been able to write most of you back yet. I promise to do so this weekend, and I’ll also share your b

I’ve been invaded by a virus. It must have been sneaking up on me for the past couple of days, but I didn’t realize what it was until early yesterday evening, when I started coughing and feeling increasingly crappy at dinner. I then strolled over to Lincoln Center to see Mark Morris’ L’Allegro, and by the end of the first act I was clammy and exhausted. I stuck it out, but my weak chest and I passed a thoroughly awful night together. I just cancelled out of the show I was going to see tonight, and I’m planning to spend the rest of the day in bed or near it.

More as it happens, but don’t be too terribly surprised if you don’t see much of me here on Monday.

Later.

I’ve been invaded by a virus. It must have been sneaking up on me for the past couple of days, but I didn’t realize what it was until early yesterday evening, when I started coughing and feeling increasingly crappy at dinner. I then strolled over to Lincoln Center to see Mark Morris’ L’Allegro, and by the end of the first act I was clammy and exhausted. I stuck it out, but my weak chest and I passed a thoroughly awful night together. I just cancelled out of the show I was going to see tonight, and I’m planning to spend the rest of the day in bed or near it.

More as it happens, but don’t be too terribly surprised if you don’t see much of me here on Monday.

Later.

Friday again, and time for the weekly postmortem…er, Wall Street Journal drama-column teaser. This time around I slit the throat of Lennon and report on Terrence McNally’s Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams:

I give the cast full credit for trying to make something out of nothing, but halfway through the first act I was muttering, “Bring on the deranged assassin!” Alas, “Lennon” needed no Mark David Chapman to supply the coup de gr

Friday again, and time for the weekly postmortem…er, Wall Street Journal drama-column teaser. This time around I slit the throat of Lennon and report on Terrence McNally’s Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams:

I give the cast full credit for trying to make something out of nothing, but halfway through the first act I was muttering, “Bring on the deranged assassin!” Alas, “Lennon” needed no Mark David Chapman to supply the coup de gr

To begin with, I want to thank the sharp-eared reader who read this posting about Joseph Taylor’s 1908 recording of “Unto Brigg Fair” and wrote to tell me that it has indeed been transferred to CD. It’s part of English Rhapsody, a really lovely collection of music by Frederick Delius, George Butterworth, and Percy Grainger, performed by Mark Elder and the Hall

To begin with, I want to thank the sharp-eared reader who read this posting about Joseph Taylor’s 1908 recording of “Unto Brigg Fair” and wrote to tell me that it has indeed been transferred to CD. It’s part of English Rhapsody, a really lovely collection of music by Frederick Delius, George Butterworth, and Percy Grainger, performed by Mark Elder and the Hall

– Amount Benny Goodman charged in 1938 for a one-nighter by his big band: $2,000

– The same amount in today’s dollars, courtesy of Inflation Calculator: $25,743

(Source: Swing, Swing, Swing: The Life and Times of Benny Goodman, by Ross Firestone)